UNLOCKING Legal Now!!!

[ike2000]

Have YOU been battling AT&T and other monopolies for the right to UNLOCK your PAID-IN-FULL NOKIA LUMIA 1520? Well, that battle is set to be over. Read: ?House passes bill that legalizes phone unlocking, with a frustrating caveat
"​House passes bill that legalizes phone unlocking, with a frustrating caveat."

Well that spells it OUT. If you purchased a 1520, IN-FULL, you therefore, posses the inalienable right to have AT&T take the shackles off your property - by providing you the UNLOCK Code.

 

[micallan_17]

Thanks for the Heads up

 

[Alienhead95]

Thank you OP

 

[palandri]

Have YOU been battling AT&T and other monopolies for the right to UNLOCK your PAID-IN-FULL NOKIA LUMIA 1520? Well, that battle is set to be over. Read: ?House passes bill that legalizes phone unlocking, with a frustrating caveat
"​House passes bill that legalizes phone unlocking, with a frustrating caveat."

Well that spells it OUT. If you purchased a 1520, IN-FULL, you therefore, posses the inalienable right to have AT&T take the shackles off your property - by providing you the UNLOCK Code.

You're a little premature with that statement.

 

[ike2000]

You're a little premature with that statement.

Not exactly. There is a billion percent chance the democratic senate will ratify this bill. So - consider this: a Done DEAL - the reason for my BIG excitement.

 

[radmanvr]

Here is my question though How well will it run on T-Mobile or any other GSM service considering its not optimized for it

 

[Ordeith]

And if saving money on plans is what you are after you could put it on aio without needing to unlock it.

 

[oditius]

Mine is already unlocked. All I did was go to the AT&T unlock page, fill it out and a day later got the code.

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/

 

[Portlandia]

Are you current ATT customer?

Mine is already unlocked. All I did was go to the AT&T unlock page, fill it out and a day later got the code.

https://www.att.com/deviceunlock/client/en_US/

 

[oditius]

Are you current ATT customer?

yeah, been since the 920 came out.

 

[drbanks]

I'm not 100% sure on how this is going to be worded.

For instance, it is currently illegal in the US to unlock a new phone without your carrier's permission. They could remove the part about that being illegal, but it's still a far cry from requiring AT&T to unlock your phone. It'd just make it legal for you to obtain an unlock from anyone who offers one, but it possibly wouldn't guarantee that one would be available.

Too often, bills like this leave gaping holes like that. Congress gets credit for doing "something," yet we're still screwed because some carrier gets a nationwide exclusive on a phone and doesn't allow anyone else access to the unlock codes - and doesn't make them available to those who aren't their customers. Yeah, it's technically legal to unlock, but good luck finding the code if that carrier doesn't want you to. Right now, they're playing sort of nice because Congress have threatened to do something, but if they can succeed in getting Congress to pass something sufficiently watered down that it doesn't appreciably change the landscape any, then they'll tighten right back up.

 

[lancorp]

I don't understand the big deal either. I have unlocked both my 520 and 1520 with no issues using the AT&T Unlock Portal page. Takes about 3 days to get your unlock code, but it works fine.

Of course, there are conditions under which you will be granted an unlock (such as account in good standing, phone is free and clear and not under contract, etc.) but otherwise is pretty easy.

I've been buying my phones non-contract (cheap 520 and my 1520 and 1020 on Craigslist) so unlocking them has been hassle-free.

 

[ike2000]

I'm not 100% sure on how this is going to be worded.

For instance, it is currently illegal in the US to unlock a new phone without your carrier's permission. They could remove the part about that being illegal, but it's still a far cry from requiring AT&T to unlock your phone. It'd just make it legal for you to obtain an unlock from anyone who offers one, but it possibly wouldn't guarantee that one would be available.

Too often, bills like this leave gaping holes like that. Congress gets credit for doing "something," yet we're still screwed because some carrier gets a nationwide exclusive on a phone and doesn't allow anyone else access to the unlock codes - and doesn't make them available to those who aren't their customers. Yeah, it's technically legal to unlock, but good luck finding the code if that carrier doesn't want you to. Right now, they're playing sort of nice because Congress have threatened to do something, but if they can succeed in getting Congress to pass something sufficiently watered down that it doesn't appreciably change the landscape any, then they'll tighten right back up.

https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/113/hr1123. HR-1123 ."..To promote consumer choice and wireless competition by permitting consumers to unlock mobile wireless devices, and for other purposes."

The wording in the bill above is clear - UNLOCK - when NOT under contract ... no obligation. That's in plain English and common sense. I wonder why many will wish it be watered down ... really baffling to note these pessimistic opinions..""

 

[palandri]

I hope it comes true with the unlocking. I eliminated the problem years ago by switching to unbranded, unlocked phone. My wife is French and we go to France a couple of times every year, plus when you buy an unbranded phone it eliminates the bloatware carriers load on your phone.

 

[ike2000]

Thomas.gov is the Bible on congressional registry. The bill is posted here: http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d113:hr1123:


like straight from the horses mouth. The senate is more liberal, therefore, I expect the last amendment will be repealed there - making it easier, with no strings attached.

 

[throws2000]

According to the link oditius posted You can already do this online through AT&T. Why be concerned about a bill when AT&T already allows currrent and former customers to unlock their phones? Am I missing something?

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...viceunlock%2Fclient%2Fen_US%2F&token=XGyfkxwj

 

[palandri]

According to the link oditius posted You can already do this online through AT&T. Why be concerned about a bill when AT&T already allows currrent and former customers to unlock their phones? Am I missing something?

https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...viceunlock%2Fclient%2Fen_US%2F&token=364gZDI0

There's a history here that's you're missing.

When the 920 came out, I was going to buy one at full price, but there was a 6 month wait for unlocking due to the 920 being an elusive deal. I had been with AT&T for about 3 years. The 6 month wait would have been during a time that I was in Europe, so I wouldn't have been allowed to unlock it before going.

There's a whole bunch of threads in the 1520 forum where non-AT&T people bought the AT&T 1520 for full price but then were denied the unlock code when they went to the AT&T unlock site.

Some of the reputable unlocking services were posting that they couldn't get AT&T unlock codes.

These are just a few of things I've seen. It's not a cake walk to to get an unlock code from AT&T.

 

[Citizen X]

Have YOU been battling AT&T and other monopolies for the right to UNLOCK your PAID-IN-FULL NOKIA LUMIA 1520? Well, that battle is set to be over.

That's a lie. The bill you are referencing does not REQUIRE at@t to provide unlock codes. The legality or illegality of unlocking cellular phones is not what is impeding people from unlocking them in the case of the 1520 in the US. You need to do more research before starting alarmist threads.

There's a whole bunch of threads in the 1520 forum where non-AT&T people bought the AT&T 1520 for full price but then were denied the unlock code when they went to the AT&T unlock site.

This is what needs to be addressed. If someone pays full price they should get unlock codes on day one. That's the law we need.

 

[ike2000]

That's a lie. The bill you are referencing does not REQUIRE at@t to provide unlock codes. The legality or illegality of unlocking cellular phones is not what is impeding people from unlocking them in the case of the 1520 in the US. You need to do more research before starting alarmist threads.
.....
This is what needs to be addressed. If someone pays full price they should get unlock codes on day one. That's the law we need.

"That's a lie"? What's the lie?

You are the one that need to read - not even research - before your baseless replies. AT&T, by virtue of being a NATIONAL CARRIER, will be compelled to UNLOCK non-contract (non-subsidized) devices. I made it clear in my original posting that: "PAID-IN-FULL" devices will be covered by the bill.

You contradicted yourself by saying: "... If someone pays full price they should get unlock codes on day one." What is the difference between "full price" and "PAID-IN-FULL"? You do NOT need another law, it is covered in HR-1123. You seem very confused!

 

[drbanks]

I just followed your link to the bill in question. Nothing in it says that the carrier will be compelled to unlock a phone. It jst said that the owner could legally do it, or legally request someone else to do it. Doesn't mean anyone has to.